End of the line for model trains?

[Riga]

Beautiful loco.

 

[undervalued]

View attachment 430754Beautiful loco.

Certainly is. I might have to visit again.
With Dapol, Hattons Originals & others, Bachmann & Hornby are being left behind & will have to up their game.
Which can only be good news for the likes of us.

 

[Maninthestreet]

This is my Christmas present from SWMBO:
View attachment 430695
Bachmann 10-12-d 4-6-0 as used by the War Department and later by various small railways

Beautiful.

 

[Riga]

Certainly is. I might have to visit again.
With Dapol, Hattons Originals & others, Bachmann & Hornby are being left behind & will have to up their game.
Which can only be good news for the likes of us.

It's the cost now - On the continent the Locos cost serious money - but, they are serious models; the un-rejigged Hornby stuff is just a rip-off, +100 notes for a 153...

 

[Riga]

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/shop/locomotives/diesel-electric-locomotives/caledonian-sleeper-class-87-bo-bo-87002-royal-sovereign-era-10.html

GBP169... incredible.

 

[Riga]

Heljan C86... knocks spots off the Hornby 87, which, with earlier models were just Lima 87s, total rip off.

 

[Gardner6LXB]

Heljan C86... knocks spots off the Hornby 87, which, with earlier models were just Lima 87s, total rip off.View attachment 430791

I used to drive those. (The prototype). Brilliant machines. 5000hp. Bit skittish in the wet, but other than that, great.

 

[Riga]

I used to drive those. (The prototype). Brilliant machines. 5000hp. Bit skittish in the wet, but other than that, great.

Which? 86? 87? or both?

Loved watching the Royal Scot pull into Lancaster around the curve, under the castle - sub 3 hours and pull in to London Euston and although ecologically damaging, pulling down the window on the MK3 and breathing in the creosoted air and London; pendis are fast and smooth but, an 87 and Mk3 rake pulling into Euston... Sod Paddington, Kings X and St Pancras were boring, crossing from Battersea into Victoria was good - but passing Willesden and into Euston, eee, I was having feeling which I hadn't felt before

 

[Dark_Nit]

I used to get the train out of Lime Street to go to university (Trans-pennine before the current numpties). Class 40 or 46 plus nine on the back blasting up through Olive Mount cutting, my head stuck out the window as we climbed the Pennines through Diggle listening to the turbos howling....

Trips to London and Birmingham, smooth and fast but not as spectacular as a 40 at full chat.

 

[Gardner6LXB]

Which? 86? 87? or both?

Loved watching the Royal Scot pull into Lancaster around the curve, under the castle - sub 3 hours and pull in to London Euston and although ecologically damaging, pulling down the window on the MK3 and breathing in the creosoted air and London; pendis are fast and smooth but, an 87 and Mk3 rake pulling into Euston... Sod Paddington, Kings X and St Pancras were boring, crossing from Battersea into Victoria was good - but passing Willesden and into Euston, eee, I was having feeling which I hadn't felt before

86/87/90/DVT/HST & other Diesels various.

 

[Wasteofrations]

Military stuff is my bag, and believe me there are some real fruit bats amongst us. But you train bods are on another level.
That is not an insult, BTW.

 

[Riga]

I used to get the train out of Lime Street to go to university (Trans-pennine before the current numpties). Class 40 or 46 plus nine on the back blasting up through Olive Mount cutting, my head stuck out the window as we climbed the Pennines through Diggle listening to the turbos howling....

Trips to London and Birmingham, smooth and fast but not as spectacular as a 40 at full chat.

Barrow line had 47s for passenger - 40s were for freight - hence my love of 47s and their design alto egos the 87s - seemed like the modern world to a youngster.

 

[Riga]

86/87/90/DVT/HST & other Diesels various.

How would you compare the 87 to the 90? Were they not basically the VW and Skoda variants of the same engine?

 

[DavidBOC]

I never got into model trains other than Lionel as a kid but always loved to look at train models.
A friend, retired from USAF, then retired from FEMA moved to Pennsylvania and bought a house with a lot of land around it and built (by himself) a building (20ft by 40ft) heated and insulated for a train layout. I think it is two track O gauge IIRC.
Amazingly his girlfriend, who moved with him, tolerates this. A lucky guy in that respect.

 

[Gardner6LXB]

How would you compare the 87 to the 90? Were they not basically the VW and Skoda variants of the same engine?

Totally different beasts. Cab Lay-out is better on a 90, but give me an 87 all day. Good variable brake rather then restrictive steps on 90s. Better power control on the 87 too with a more user friendly notching system rather than the 90s thyrister.
Less electrickery on 87s too. Less to go wrong, less chance of me having to walk a mile & a quarter carrying flags & detonators. Always good!

 

[Riga]

I never got into model trains other than Lionel as a kid but always loved to look at train models.
A friend, retired from USAF, then retired from FEMA moved to Pennsylvania and bought a house with a lot of land around it and built (by himself) a building (20ft by 40ft) heated and insulated for a train layout. I think it is two track O gauge IIRC.
Amazingly his girlfriend, who moved with him, tolerates this. A lucky guy in that respect.

Photos or it never happened and you are so busted

 

[Riga]

Totally different beasts. Cab Lay-out is better on a 90, but give me an 87 all day. Good variable brake rather then restrictive steps on 90s. Better power control on the 87 too with a more user friendly notching system rather than the 90s thyrister.
Less electrickery on 87s too. Less to go wrong, less chance of me having to walk a mile & a quarter carrying flags & detonators. Always good!

Then what do you think of the Skoda Bo-Bo's - the 163 - 263 and 363s - did you / have you, ever had the chance to foot plate them?

 

[Gardner6LXB]

Then what do you think of the Skoda Bo-Bo's - the 163 - 263 and 363s - did you / have you, ever had the chance to foot plate them?

I’m not sure what they, are to be honest.

 

[DavidBOC]

Photos or it never happened and you are so busted

Ask and you shall receive. I was wrong on the measurements, it is 26ftx40ft.
He built the building himself except for the roof trusses which in his state have to be manufactured with an engineers stamp on DIY buildings. I only found an interior shot which shows part of the track bench. If I understand his posts correctly he does not use pre-fab track but fastens individual rails to the sleepers.

Not included are photos of his radio shack which has radios from 160M to 70cm, RF amplifier to 1kW.
He was USAF from Airman to Lt Col. A radio guy, I know at one point he was on a BUFF crew.
Between trains and radios he must have a very understanding partner/girlfriend.
He

 

[Riga]

Ask and you shall receive. I was wrong on the measurements, it is 26ftx40ft.
He built the building himself except for the roof trusses which in his state have to be manufactured with an engineers stamp on DIY buildings. I only found an interior shot which shows part of the track bench. If I understand his posts correctly he does not use pre-fab track but fastens individual rails to the sleepers.

Not included are photos of his radio shack which has radios from 160M to 70cm, RF amplifier to 1kW.
He was USAF from Airman to Lt Col. A radio guy, I know at one point he was on a BUFF crew.
Between trains and radios he must have a very understanding partner/girlfriend.
He View attachment 430927View attachment 430928View attachment 430929

No WOW button, his partner must be very understanding. That pointwork alone will take a lot of time on wiring up. Fantastic work!